Explanations
by Sensaiman
Summary: Castle, conference room now! …  EXPLAIN!


Explanations

By

Sensaiman

A Castle Fanfiction

_**Summary: "Castle, conference room now! … EXPLAIN!"**_

_Explanation: Yet another entry in the great declaration ["I love you", "I love you too"] story arc. I know I've done two already, but I couldn't get this one out of my head. Post _

"_Countdown" and "One Life To Lose", and yes Josh [poor guy] gets kicked to the curb yet again, albeit off stage this time._

_**Disclaimer: I don't, wish I did [sniff].**_

On Monday morning, Dr. Lainie Parish, Medical Examiner for the great city of New York, had just put her last instrument on her tray, when Katherine Beckett, Lead Homicide Detective for the great city of New York, slammed through the Morgue door, marched over to the autopsy table, and slammed a newspaper down on top of it.

"That, Son of a B…"

"Whoa, Girlfriend", Dr. Parish exclaimed, "Who are you talking about"?

"Him", Beckett said pointing to a picture on [_where else_] page 6, "Castle!"

"What has he done now?"  
"Look", Beckett screamed"

Lainie crossed to the table, and looked at the photo.

In the picture, Ruggedly Handsome Bestselling Mystery Novelist, Richard Castle was walking out of some kind of store, a dark haired woman by his side. Lainie could see that Castle's left hand was holding the woman's right arm and his right hand clasped hers. Below the picture was a caption that read; "Has this mystery writer uncovered a new case-of love".

"That dirty rotten jerk", Beckett screamed, "I can't believe it. It's the Hamptons all over again.

"What are you talking about", the ME asked.

'The Hamptons remember. Last summer, I dumped a great guy so I could be with Castle and he runs off with his ex-wife. And now this"

"Wait a minute, are you saying…"

"Yes, I dumped Josh this weekend."

"Why"

"Because, how can I resist a man who saves my life every five minutes, sets up a memorial scholarship for my mother, and gets me a picture of the cast of _Temptation Lane _signed by the entire cast?"

"What are you saying?"

"I give in! Okay. I [_pause_] love [_pause_] HIM!. I've loved him forever. And now he does this!"

Lainie began, "You mean you broke up with Dr. Dreamy, told Castle you love him, and he does this", pointing at the picture,, "The rotten B…"

"Whoa, Lainie" Kate interrupted, "I didn't tell him yet"

The petite African American woman stared at her friend in astonishment for a second.

"You're right it is the Hamptons all over again", she said, "you idiot"

"What", Kate was shocked, "Why am I an idiot?"

"Because", Lainie said slowly as if talking to a very slow two year old, "How can he know how you're feeling if you don't tell him. If it had been me I've been over at his loft, two minutes after I dumped Motorcycle boy, exploring his tonsils with my tongue".

"Lainie, I couldn't. I…"

"Shut up, Beckett. Look I love you, you are my best friend, a brilliant investigator, but in this one area you are so dumb, I'm surprised you can breathe on your own. Do you love Castle?"

"I do, or I did, I don't know now after this", pointing at the picture.

"What did he say about this?"

"I haven't asked him", Beckett answered sheepishly.

'Do you mean to tell me, you don't even know if this caption true or not?"

"No".

'Girl, get your behind upstairs and find out"

"But, Lainie"

"NOW!" the M.E. screamed pointing to the door.

"And call me later", she shouted to Beckett's back.

When she arrived upstairs, there he was sitting in his chair, playing with his stinking iPad. The sight of his boyishly handsome face smiling as he played some dumb game, refueled her anger. Ordinarily she would just bury her feelings and ignore the situation, but today she was determined to find out what was going on.

Her boots thundering across the room, she marched up to her desk.

"Castle, conference room now!"

"Huh"

"Get you butt into that conference room now!", she shouted.

"Why?"

"MOVE!"

The writer got up slowly, he had seen her angry before, usually when he had taken some stupid risk, but never like this. What, the hell, had he done.

Once in the room, Beckett ordered him to close the blinds. He did so quickly and then turned to face her.

"Explain", she thundered slamming the paper down on the table.

"What?"

"The picture", she screamed, "Who is that woman?"

"That's Paula"

"Who?'

"That's Paula, my publicist', he said.

"Is that caption true? Are you in love with her?"

"What?"

"I said, are you in love with her?" Beckett yelled.

"With Paula, are you crazy? Of course not."

"Why not?" Beckett asked.

"For two very good reasons. One she's married to a great guy from Tuscany and has two beautiful girls. The other reason, well that's my secret."

"Castle, I'm warning you, if you don't answer my questions I'll beat the answers out of you!"

"Okay you want to know the real reason", Castle shouted.

"Yes", Beckett shouted back.

"Alright, because I'm in love with someone else."

"Who?" she shrieked.

"You, you idiot. I'm in love with YOU! And now you and Motorcycle Boy can have a good laugh at the poor writer who was fool enough to fall in love with his muse".

"Castle, are you serious? You're in love with me?"

"You know, Beckett, for a trained investigator you can very dense. Do you think I run around tackling professional assassins, risking hypothermia, and diffusing bombs to save the life of women I am not in love with. Now go back to Dr. Dreamy and leave me in peace", and with a sob he turned towards the door.

Beckett grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. "Oh no you don't Castle. You stay here. I have something to tell you"

"What?"

"I love you too."

"Excuse me."

"I, Katherine Beckett, LOVE YOU, Richard Castle-Rodgers."

'You do", Castle asked startled.

"Yes, you big dope I do".

"What about Josh"

"He's history. I broke up with him this weekend."

The next thing she knew she was in his arms and his lips were pressed against hers,. She welcomed and responded to the kiss immediately. She had been kissed many times in the past [_including once by him_] but never like this. At once she felt her knees go limp, and her nipples harden.

Reluctantly they broke apart.

"Wow", they said together.

Kate stayed in his arms, looking up at him. Slowly she drew her bottom lip into her teeth [_she could hear his intake of breath_] and asked, "Ricky if you love me, why were you holding Paula's hand?'

"Because, my darling detective, we were leaving the Barnes and Noble in Times Square last night, the stoop was slippery, and she almost fell. I guess the paparazzi snapped the picture just as I grabbed her."

"Oh", was the only reply.

"Kate".

"Yes, babe".

"I know you've been hurt in the past, so I want you to know we'll go slow. We'll start with a few casual dates, and let things develop…"

"No", the negative stopped him in midsentence, "I don't want slow, and I don't want casual. I want to dive in with you."

"Are you sure? I mean I don't want to rush you into anything"

"For, God's sake, Rick, we've been "dating" for two and half years."

"What, when?"

"Every time we went to a crime scene, every time we were on stakeout, those times we went undercover. Those were our dates. We are way beyond that. Don't you get it, Castle, we've been a couple almost from the day we met. We have been lovers for over a year in all but one area."

"But, Kate, that's a pretty big area", he said.

"I know, babe, but don't worry. We'll take care of it".

"When?' he asked hopefully.

She stepped up; leaned in close to him and whispered seductively, "Tonight, baby, tonight", and nipped his ear, "Oh, and, honey, you remember how I told you once 'You have no idea' well you **will** tonight!"

_As always please review. Oh and the reference to Paula's husband and two beautiful girls is a little tribute to actress, Debbie Mazur, who played Paula in the show. _


End file.
